Lucky Obukohwo, Reporting
The Nigeria Police Force National Cybercrime Centre (NPF-NCCC) has dismantled a sophisticated cross-border fraud syndicate and arrested a mastermind, Agbor Martins Black-Diamond, for allegedly parading himself as an official of the World Bank to defraud a Kenyan couple of $250,000.
Force Public Relations Officer (FPRO), DCP Anthony Placid revealed this in a statement issued to journalists in Abuja.
The force image maker said that the operation followed actionable intelligence received from the East Africa Sub-Sahara Africa Safe Promotion (EA-SSASPF) Foundation, a registered NGO in Nairobi, Kenya.
He said one Mr. Julius Kithome and Ms. Cynthia Kithome, were introduced to the suspect by one Rev. Edy Ndeto in Nairobi.
The suspect, alias Oruojong Black Diamond Agbor Martins, falsely represented himself as an official of the World Bank and other US-based donor partners.
The statement reads, “Preliminary investigation revealed that the complainants relying on the fraudulent claims, transferred a total of USD $250,000 over three years for purported registration and administrative fees meant to unlock donor funding. No funding was ever secured.
“Instead, the suspect organized sham symposiums in Nigeria and South Africa.
“In 2024, he further induced the victims to secure a bank loan against their family property to access a non-existent $850,000 empowerment fund in Ghana.”
Placid said thorough investigation and financial analysis confirmed substantial inflows from the Kenyan victims, including $57,975 between February and July 2023.
He noted that the suspect was arrested on 31st March 2026, and his entity, Black Diamond African Beauty Restoration Foundation, was found unregistered in Nigeria, prompting him to register United African Continent Limited in November 2024 to legitimize his illicit activities.
The police image maker said further findings indicated the suspect extended his fraudulent scheme to local farmers in Kuje Area Council, collecting N50,000 each under the guise of empowerment and capacity building.
Placid said the arrest was one of the major breakthroughs recorded by the IGP Olatunji Disu-led force in cybercrime investigations.
